House Armed Services Committee Examines Military Commissions Act

"The Military Commissions Act violates American values and our commitment to due process," said Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. "The so-called hearings that began this week in Guantanamo are a mockery-no better than a kangaroo court. Congress must reaffirm the American value of due process and fix the Military Commissions Act."

The ACLU is one of four organizations that have been granted status as human rights observers at the military commission proceedings. The ACLU continues to press the government to close the facility and to restore the right of due process under the Constitution and the Geneva Conventions.

Already, several measures have been introduced in Congress to fix the Military Commissions Act. The ACLU is urging Congress to enact both measures. The "Habeas Corpus Restoration Act of 2007" (H.R.1416/S.185) would restore habeas corpus for those detained by the American government.

The "Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007" (H.R. 1415/S. 576) would also reinstate habeas rights and clarify the definition of "enemy combatants." Additionally, it would block the federal government from making up its own rules on torture and abuse. The Geneva Conventions have governed American behavior during war for decades. The bill makes clear the federal government must comply with the Conventions, and no one in the federal government - not even the president -- can make up his or her own rules on torture and abuse.

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http://aclu.org/safefree/general/29219prs20070329.html